The Spiritual Journey 2024 - Day 28: God is full of mercy.

“Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is merciful.“

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭116‬:‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

King David had displeased the Lord by numbering the people of Israel and Judah.

When Joab brought David the results of the nine-month long census project, David was stricken with condemnation and sought the Lord for forgiveness.

In answer to David’s plea, the Lord sent the prophet Gad, David’s seer, to offer David three punishments.

“‘So Gad came to David and told him; and he said to him, “Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or shall you flee three months before your enemies, while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ plague in your land? Now consider and see what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.” And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.””

2 Samuel 24: 13-15 NKJV

David, given the three choices presented him, chose to fall into the hand of the Lord, leaving the punishment to be decided and executed by God.

You see, David knew what Adam and Eve did not know at the point of their sin. Rather than running to the Lord with their failure, they tried to hide from the Lord.

“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.“

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Indeed, David had learned that his Shepherd would send goodness and mercy behind him everywhere he went.

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.“

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

As well, David knew that as one who feared the Lord, he had access to an endless supply of mercy. He also knew that the Lord doesn’t bring our confessed sins back up to us.

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;“

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103‬:‭8‬-‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

In one of my favorite scriptures, Jeremiah describes the mercy of God this way:

“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.“

‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭22‬-‭25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Paul, in his letter to Titus, shared that the great mercy of God had brought the hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

“But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.“

‭‭Titus‬ ‭3‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Yes, through Christ we can confidently ask for God’s grace, being assured that He will help us!

“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.“

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

As dramatic and difficult was my illness, and the spiritual journey experienced through it, I know that it was all a function of God‘s mercy. First of all, the Lord saved my physical life at the beginning of the illness onset. As well, the Lord saved me from having to continue operating under this previously unrecognized area of His displeasure Satan was using as a weapon against me!

In our opening scripture we see that the psalmist, after having been delivered from death, extols the great mercy of God.

Friend, whether you have never sought the mercy of God through repentance, or whether you have failed in your Christian walk of righteousness, don’t hide like Adam and Eve did. Rather, run quickly, run boldly, to the throne of grace to access God’s great mercy! Do it today!

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

#thespiritualjourney2024